Spotlight, Cover Models & Yours Truly Free Inside!

Know what seems to happen every time a photo of my book cover is displayed with an image of me nearby? I get mistaken for the cover model.

Author J’aimee Brooker was lovely and cast the spotlight me over at her website today (see here for the Spotlight On) and compare the photos of me and the models side by side. Then let’s look at both covers for my books, shall we? Aside from the red boots, there is no part of me that looks like the woman on the front of A Basic Renovation. First of all, she’s tall. How do I know she’s tall? I know this because 98% of people I meet are taller than me. The dead giveaway this is not me is her awesome, sculpted arms. I do not have sculpted arms. I’m soft and rounded and short.

Also, I lack a backside.

As for the chick on the cover of For Your Eyes Only? Gee, um we’re both blonde–except Willa actually has white hair and no roots. The cover model is also tall (trust me on this, she’s a model, so she’s got to be tall) and has slender arms. While I do not possess “Soup cooler” arms or “Tuck shop” arms as they call ’em Down Under, I don’t have obviously skinny arms like the model.

All righty, I admit to being flattered some think I’m the cover model on my books. I am deeply flattered a number of your think I’m cover model worthy, but I prefer to be between the pages of my books. What do I mean by this, you ask (or I pretend you ask)? Any author who says they are not in the books they write lies. I am convinced of this. Writers draw from what they know, bits and bobs of their lives make it into their books–even the books where there are three-breasted Orcs riding piggy-back on Jawas. Although I’m NOT on the cover, I’m in the books, kids, I really am. What you read reflects my goofy sense of humour and my love of peanut butter — in FYEO — and onions rings — in ABR. The onion ring thing is weird, because I really, REALLY hate onions, but I love the O-rings from Sonic, so that part of me made it into a work of fiction that does not feature me on the cover.

Are we clear on that now? Not me. On cover. Good.

There will be no confusion about who it is on the cover of my potential next book, but you can bet I’ll be in there. The next book features a dark haired heroine who drives an Aston Martin DB5 — hello to my serious love of James Bond!